The Salty Rain
by Special Agent TrebleClef Chase
Summary: Written as a prediction of season finale. Now multi chapter. Cobb left a trail of big changes at NCIS, but the changes just keep happening at NCIS as secrets, scandals, and little feet infiltrate the team.


Disclaimer: Don't own anything but my mind… which brings you this fanfiction. Events based on a twenty second promo, if it ends up being nothing like Pyramid, well then… it happens.

Everyone was silent. The only noise that could be heard was the sound of fingers dancing across the keys.

Given, everybody but Tony was invited to the "We're back on top" party at Abby's house later that night; but out of respect for him there was no celebration (out loud).

Just one more victim. Three more actually. Franks was the real loss to the team; but they had done their grieving, and now they were ready to go back to the way things were.

But they didn't.

E.J. and her team were the hypothetical "favorite child" of all of NCIS. They showed all of the team up on what they did best.

But they were all silent, for Tony.

He felt hopeless. There was still a dull ache in his stomach from the stress and heartache.

It wasn't love. He knew that, oh yes he knew that. Every moment he shared with her, there was nothing there.

But he was tired of this Playboy attitude. He wanted somebody. Not for a night. Not for a weekend. Not for a decade. He wanted somebody, anybody, to have for the rest of his life.

He made some bull excuse and headed to the bathroom. He heard the dull, but still audible footsteps. He smiled briefly.

"You're losing your ninja Zi."

She didn't crack a smile. "And you? It's pretty obvious that you have emotions so why are you hiding them like a juvenile little boy trying to prove to his daddy that he can be a 'tough guy?' Is that ninja?"

She could see in her eyes that she had made a mistake. But it was too late. He walked away and she knew that he was shut down.

As she walked into the MCRT, she tried not to look at that blasted skylight. Not as if it was light anyway. Sheets of rain came pouring down. She wished the rain could wipe away the words she had just spoken.

Gibbs got off the phone and opened his mouth to speak through her regret. "Ziva there's a lead on the P2P killer, take DiNozzo and head to 799 Hollycreeve Street, Norfolk."

She began to protest. "But Gibbs, he's-"

Gibbs ignored her and gave her the "shoo" signal.

So she did. Without Tony.

She knocked on the door and stepped in, gun raised. Then she felt something hard hit the back of her head.

And everything went black.

Tony came out of the bathroom and as he headed towards his desk, Gibbs swore. And then he swore again. "Why aren't you with Ziva?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Why would I be?"

Gibbs slammed his desk and cursed menacingly. "I told her to take you!"

Tony grabbed his things and raced to the elevator. "Oh I'll catch up with her!"

Ziva sat, tears running down her face, bound to a chair. Given, the weather was better here than it was in Somalia. But the circumstances were definitely similar.

The P2P killer paced in front of her, a cruel smile on his face.

"We are actually very much alike you know."

She couldn't help herself. "Oh really, I forgot about being an insane psychopath and killing innocent people for _fun_!"

She felt the hard sting across her face. "Oh so we're going to be smart mouthed about this? Very well, I guess I'll just have to inform your little 'friend' about your situation then."

She screamed. "No don't! He'll-"

"I know very well what he'll do Ziva."

She filled with rage. "WHY? Why are you striking at NCIS? I know very well you're trying to get at the CIA, so I'm your emotional revenge to Ray, but why did you kill Franks and why-"

"You ask too many questions you impertinent-"

"I'll ask one more. Why is it that we can have the same training, same instincts, same everything and be on two different sides of the law?"

"Because I'm far less patient than you are."

Tony was driving towards his destination when he heard his phone ring with Ziva's ringtone.

He pulled over in one veering motion and opened the text.

_Tony,_

_My game is not over yet. The right people haven't suffered nearly enough. I hate to hurt undeserving people so heartlessly but I hope you understand, the trail I've left behind at NCIS is merely very unfortunate collateral damage._

With that disturbing text was a picture of Ziva tied to a chair, tears on her face, and a gag in her mouth.

He threw the phone at the windshield and pounded his face on the horn in fury.

The Tony collected himself. He called Gibbs and forwarded the text to him as he searched the address that Gibbs gave to him.

Nothing.

Heartbeat?

Nothing.

A he stepped out of the elevator and toward his desk he felt like lead. Nothing in the world meant anything. E.J who? Ziva wasn't dead for sure and he already felt the loss much deeper.

He turned toward his computer and reviewed everything P2P, ignoring the river rapids streaming down his skin.

McGee got him six, count six, Nutter Butters from the vending machine and six, count six Nutter Butters remained on his desk unnoticed.

Gibbs had to force-feed him Pepperoni and Mushroom pizza about six hours later. At 11:00 PM, he got fed up with all the review and grabbed his SIG and he left for the elevator.

"Stop!"

It was McGee. Obviously with orders to not let Tony leave the building alone, McGee came to where Tony was standing.

"Tim."

McGee was shocked. Tony was entirely serious and stone-faced. It was downright frightening.

"Tim, don't come with me."

No reason, just a command. But as Tony entered the elevator, McGee knew exactly why he needed to do his search alone. Whether he would break down in tears or have a private "conversation" with Ziva, he didn't want McGee to be there.

Tony drove and drove in the pouring rain when he came to an old house. There was nothing special, nothing spectacular, just in the yard there was Ziva's Star of David necklace.

Tony entered the house quietly, knowing that he could very well be attacked from the back.

He rounded a corner and saw her. Squirming and trying to scream through the gag, he still couldn't feel any happier to see her.

He wanted to take her in his arms and just never let go but he knew her struggling was a clue. So he shoved his gun through his side and arm and shot. He spun around and put six bullets in the P2P killer.

It was obviously standard to call Gibbs at that moment, but Tony needed some time first.

He took out Ziva's gag first, and then cut the ropes that hindered her movement. After Tony called Gibbs and informed him of the situation, they walked outside and stood in the front yard of the house.

"I thought I would never…" he gasped.

"See you again." She finished.

Tony took her head in his hands and kissed her.

She felt like she was melting into him. She felt three times the person she was before Tony rescued her, and twice the person she was than before all this P2P killer mess.

As Tony pulled away, he couldn't hide his tears from her.

She smiled. "We'll be okay. Well, as long as we keep this from Gibbs."


End file.
